In an Instant
by SuperWhoLocked91
Summary: Sequel to "Where is Stiles?" Takes places a few months later, with Stiles and Lydia being an official couple! They, along with Scott and Kira, plan a weekend away at Lydia's family's lake house. But, something happens that changes things between Stiles and Lydia. There're also cute moments and a few surprises!


**Ok, I wasn't even planning on doing a sequel or any kind of continuation of my captured Stiles story but, this wouldn't leave me alone. So, here we go. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Thanks to Jamie for helping every time I get stuck and for being there to bounce ideas off of, even when you were on vacation at Disney World. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf or any of its affiliates.**

 _It was the first time he'd thought of the possibility of dying. Of giving up. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take this torment. The doctor from Eichen House had been gone maybe five minutes but it didn't feel that way. On the one hand, it felt like it had been hours. On the other, the blood dripping from his lip and wrists left the torture feeling fresh._

 _"Lydia," he whispered in the dark. His jaw was starting to hurt and he knew that would become an issue later. He pulled himself to a standing position and tilted his head back to try and look at his bound wrists above him. The doctor had been smart and used handcuffs and duct tape. If he could have managed to cut the tape on the hook he was hanging from, the handcuffs would have been another issue. He looked down at his legs and noticed the doctor had only opted to use tape around his knees. It wasn't so tight he lost circulation, just tight enough that he couldn't move his legs at all. Moving anywhere in the room to try and cut the tape was out of the question. He could barely stand, the doctor had him hanging at just the right height. Frustrated, all he could do was scream._

"Stiles!" he heard in the darkness. He was drenched in sweat, sitting straight up on a soft surface. Not in the warehouse. "Stiles," he heard again, this time a little softer. He hadn't realized he'd been breathing so heavily until it slowed. "Are you alright?" He knew that voice.

"Lydia?" he asked, finally turning to see her beside him. His eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark and he realized his was in his room, in his bed. And Lydia Martin was there with him.

"Yeah, it's me. What's wrong?" she asked. "You're shaking." It took her pointing it out for him to realize it. Looking down, he noticed that he was gripping his blanket so tightly that his knuckles were practically glowing white in the darkness. "Stiles," she whispered as she lifted a hand to rub the back of his own, "talk to me."

"Are you really here? Or is this another twisted dream? A trick?" he asked, not wanting to believe it. He'd been here before. He turned his torso towards her and moved his left hand to reach for her. He felt a squeeze on his right hand and paused with his left in the air.

"Yes, I'm really here." She reached up to pull his frozen hand to her face. "See? Not a dream." She leaned into his hand as he let out a sigh of relief. He slid back down onto the pillows and turned onto his right side to face her.

"I was back there, with _him_ ," he said, closing his eyes. Lydia was laying with his left hand on her face and he slid it down to her arm when he realized her face looked squished. "It was awful."

She pulled her hand from the blanket and placed it just below his chin on the side of his face. "You're not there anymore. He's dead, Stiles, and he's not coming back."

Sighing, he replied, "I know, I know. I just," he paused, "I can't shake it. It's like it just happened."

"That was months ago," she whispered in the darkness. "I know it's going to be with you, but you can put it behind you. If anything happens, you have all of us here to help with anything. Just, answer your phone every once in a while, ya know?" She was trying to lighten the mood. They'd had such a nice few days together, just doing homework and staying in and hanging out with Scott and Kira.

"I'll try," he relented. It was going to be easier said than done.

"I know it's going to be tough, but that's why you have me." She leaned in and closed the small space between the two of them to plant a soft kiss on his lips. She pulled back sooner than he would have liked but he knew they couldn't exactly do much with his father down the hall. He couldn't even remember if his dad knew she was there or not.

"Does my dad know you're here right now?" he whispered, looking over his shoulder to see if his door was locked.

"Of course not. I was careful when I came in while he was gone, even had Kira drop me off so my car's not even anywhere near here." She ran her hand through his brown locks. "Are you sure you're okay, Stiles?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired. Let's go back to sleep," he whispered. It took him a minute to realize where his father had been when he was "gone" earlier and he felt like an idiot when he remembered he was on a date with Melissa McCall.

"As long as you're sure you're alright." He nodded before throwing his left arm over her as she turned to face the wall and snuggled in closer to him and laced her fingers in with his. "We need to get some sleep, we're meeting Scott and Kira in the morning."

"I know. One question," he started.

"Hmmm?" she replied, already half asleep.

"Why am I not wearing a shirt? I don't remember taking it off."

"That's because I took it off while you were sleeping," she yawned.

"Really?" he asked with a teasing lilt in his voice.

"Not like that," she swatted him with her free hand. "You were drenched in sweat and I was trying to help."

"Oh," he said, kind of let down that she hadn't been trying to take advantage of him. "Thanks for that."

"No problem, Babe. Now, get some sleep. I'm exhausted."

They were both out in minutes but Stiles couldn't seem to shake the ominous feeling he had that something bad was going to happen. _What's wrong with me?_ he wondered before dozing off with his nose buried in his girlfriend's strawberry blonde locks.

 **XX**

Waking up in the same position they'd fallen asleep in, Stiles and and Lydia stirred in one another's arms hours later. He awoke first, reveling in the moment. He'd wanted this for years, he wasn't about to let it go. He tightened his arm and pulled her closer with a smile on his face. He breathed in the scent of her lavender and vanilla shampoo, his eyes still closed. When he felt her flex her fingers laced in with his, he figured she was awake.

"Mornin'," he said.

"Mmmm," was her reply. "What time is it?"

"Not too sure. The sun's up so I know it's morning. I haven't been up long, though." He turned his body to look at the clock on his nightstand. "It's almost ten. What time are we supposed to go meet Scott and Kira?"

"I think Kira told me eleven. I need a shower." She released his hand and attempted to slide out from under his arm. He tightened his hold on her and she tried to squirm free. "Stiles, I need to shower," she laughed. "Let me up."

"Not gonna happen," he said. "We can lay here a little longer." She turned to face him and placed her palm on his ribcage.

"I beg to differ," she said. She walked her fingers up and down his side before pressing in. Stiles twitched and she did it again. She held in a laugh.

"Lydia, don't," he warned. She did it again. "You don't wanna go there." She brought her other hand to assist with her assault on her boyfriend's torso. Before they knew it, the two of them were engaged in an all-out tickle fight.

Eventually, Lydia was freed and managed to get off the bed. Stiles was surprised to see she was in a pair of his boxers and his t-shirt, especially since they hadn't even had sex yet. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her slip the shirt over her head as she closed the door to the bathroom attached to his room. He laid there until he heard the water shut off, just thinking of how lucky he was. He'd been in love with her for years. They hadn't said those three words to one another yet, not since he'd thought he'd heard her mumble it that first day after he got home from the hospital. He was waiting for the right moment. Maybe this weekend away with Scott and Kira might be it. The two couples would be spending today and tomorrow at Lydia's family's lake house.

Lydia opened the door and steam rolled out before she stepped through the frame. Her hair was still dry as she didn't see a point in washing it at the moment if it was just going to get wet in a few hours at the lake anyway.

"Your turn," she quipped, pulling her hair from the bun she'd placed it in so it wouldn't get too wet. She was wrapped in nothing but a towel, water sliding down her legs. It was all Stiles could do to breathe. "Hello?" She snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Earth to Stiles."

"Uh, yeah?" he finally answered.

"Time to shower, Babe. We gotta get going soon."

"Okay," he managed, swallowing hard as he readjusted himself before climbing off his bed. "I'll be out soon."

Ten minutes later, Stiles would walking out of the bathroom in what seemed to be nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Lydia had gotten dressed and applied minimal make-up. It was her turn to have her breath taken away when she turned to see her boyfriend walking towards her. She paused in her movements of putting on the sandals she had brought with her. She had given her bag for the weekend to Kira when she had gotten dropped off the night before. He ran an extra towel through his hair before tossing it behind him into the steam-filled bathroom. He walked over to his dresser and began to pull out some jeans and a blue-gray t-shirt.

Lydia took a moment to find her voice. It was rare that she saw him like this now, after what had happened with the doctor. He was so carefree and in the moment. She knew it was just taking a shower and getting dressed but it was moments like this that made her think of all the time they had missed together when she had been too blind and stupid to finally realize how she felt about him. She finished lacing up her sandal, stood, and cleared her throat before speaking.

"I'll give you some privacy to get dressed." She started towards the door and was shocked when he said that it was fine.

"All I need to do is slip on my jeans, I'm covered underneath." When she gave him a puzzling look, he just said,"Bathroom." Keeping the towel around his waist, he slid his jeans up his lanky legs. The towel floated to the floor as he reached underneath to button his pants. Seconds later, his shirt was covering those muscles he kept hidden.

"Um, we should probably get going." She turned to look at the clock. "It's almost ten thirty. Have you even packed yet?" She had yet to see his blue duffle bag anywhere.

"Eehh, not yet. Give me a minute and it'll be done." He walked to the bed and pulled the bag in question out from beneath it. Going back to his dresser, he pulled out his trunks, a few changes of clothes, and extra boxers.

"No pjs?" she asked, lifting a brow in the process.

His response was to grab a pair of shorts off the floor and give her a " _Happy?_ " look. He was fighting back a smile. Throwing his charger into the bag and shoving his phone in his pocket, he grabbed her by the waist, pulled her into a kiss, and slung his arm around her shoulders as they walked out of his room.

Minutes later, they were on their way to Lydia's family's lake house to spend a couples weekend away. They'd all had a rough few months with the Dread Doctors and Stiles being kidnapped. They all needed it. He'd tossed his bag into the backseat of his trusty jeep, opened the door for Lydia (it was a bit tricky nowadays), and they were on their way. He'd slid his hand into her own after they'd made it off the main roads and enjoyed the drive. When they arrived, they all said their hellos and got settled into their respective rooms, each couple sharing. They all changed into their swimsuits before meeting in the kitchen to gather supplies for their picnic. They were going to spend a few hours out by the lake, having lunch and going for a swim. It was the mini-vacation they all needed.

Throwing together a few sandwiches and a quick salad, the four of them made small talk about what they'd all been up to, the few television shows they managed to catch every once in a while, and even made tentative plans to catch a movie. After grabbing a little bit of fruit and tossing it into the basket, they picked up their towels and made for the lake shore.

The couples settled in on the blankets the girls had grabbed and dove into the food. Stiles and Lydia hadn't eaten all day so they were famished. The last thing they'd eaten had been the pizza Lydia had brought with her when she'd shown up around eight the night before. They joked and the boys threw grapes at each other until Scott whipped out the water guns from the bottom of the basket. He and Stiles chased one another around while the girls talked.

"How's he doin'?" Kira asked. She and Lydia had gotten a lot closer recently.

"He's good, aside from waking up screaming last night. I do what I can but I'm not sure how to help." She moved her eyes from the boys and focused on her nails.

"You guys'll get through this just fine." Kira placed her hand on Lydia's knee. "I promise."

"I know. It's just, hard, right now. Thinking about him being put through all of that, just to protect me."

"He loves you, Lydia. He has for years. Even I could tell that when I first saw the two of you together." Lydia smiled at her friend. "Besides, he seems to be back to himself." The two of them laughed before realizing how quiet it had gotten.

"Where did they go?" Lydia sat up, scanning the lake shore.

Before Kira could respond, the two of them were being picked up by their boyfriends and were tossed off the dock into the lake within seconds. Coming up for air, they saw the guys laughing from the dock.

"Not cool, Scott!" Kira exclaimed.

"What?" he answered. "You're wearing your suit underneath that dress. What's the big deal?" He spread his arms out before tossing one of them across the shoulders of his best friend.

"Wait a second," Stiles said, shaking off the last of his laughter. "Where's Lydia?" Concern shot across his face before he was pulled by the ankle into the water, bringing Scott with him. No one had seen Lydia swim up to the side of the dock in the aftermath.

When the two boys broke the surface, they were met with the laughing faces of their girlfriends. Each swam to their significant other and got splashed in the process.

"Gotcha," Lydia whispered, wrapping her arms around Stiles's neck. He leaned in for a kiss.

"Ha ha, you got me back," he whispered back after breaking the kiss. "You scared me, too, Lydia." He rubbed her arms and looked into her eyes. "I didn't know what happened to you and I was starting to blame myself..." he trailed off. He looked away, unable to deal with what outcome he had played in his head.

"Hey," she started, using her forefinger to turn him back to her, "I'm fine. You guys were playing around and I was just getting you back. You have nothing to worry about, Stiles." She planted a soft kiss on his lips to emphasis her point. Before promptly swimming back and splashing him in the process. That pulled him out of his dazed state and he chased after her, the couple laughing all the while. They decided to jump off the dock and race while Scott and Kira went out a little further.

"3, 2," Stiles jumped before finishing the countdown. Lydia managed a short _HEY_ before joining him. His head popped above the waterline and he laughed before taking off to the agreed upon turning point. Lydia came up for a breath before starting after him.

That was when she felt something touch her foot. She tried to keep going but she wasn't moving. Whatever it was had her trapped. She went under the water to try and get her foot free but couldn't see in the muddy water. The more she struggled, the harder it was for her to get free.

"Stiles!" she screamed, her mouth filling with water. "Stiles! Help!" she gurgled. "Stiles!" she managed one more time before going back down to try and get free one more time. Still unable to see, it was useless. She pushed her head above the surface to call for help again. "Stiles!" Where was he?

Stiles stopped at their halfway point and broke for air and to see how far behind Lydia was. When he turned his head, all he saw of her was the tip of her strawberry blonde head and her fingertips as she went underwater. He swam as hard and fast as he could. "Lydia!" he cried when he next broke for air. "I'm coming!" He was by her side in seconds. "Lydia!" He ducked under the water to see what he could do. He saw that her eyes were open and she was pointing down. He followed her fingers to her foot and saw that she was caught up in a tree branch. Diving down, he tried to free her but he didn't have enough hands. Reluctantly, he swam to the surface and called for Scott and Kira.

They turned their heads from the splash fight they had been having and saw him waving frantically. "Lydia!" was all he could get out before diving back down. They swam over as quickly as they could, not quite sure what was happening at the moment. Scott dove down to help Stiles underwater.

Stiles noticed that Lydia had stopped moving and tiny air bubbles floated from her mouth. _NO!_ he thought _I'm not losing you!_ She was out of air and he was out of time. Scott's set of hands was exactly what he needed. Less than thirty seconds later, she was free and they were bringing her to the surface.

"Lydia!"Kira cried, placing her hand over her mouth. This was her friend. Stiles carried her lifeless body from the lake to the grass where they'd been eating and joking only minutes before. Falling to his knees, he tried his best to keep her from tumbling from his arms.

"Stay with me, Lydia! Stay with me!" He ripped open the sundress she'd been wearing over her bikini, trying to see if she was hurt anywhere else before he started pounding on her chest. Not seeing anything sticking out or bleeding, he started CPR. After thirty compressions, he pinched her nose and gave her two short breaths before going again. Her lips were a pale purple, a sign she wasn't getting oxygen. "Lydia!"He breathed into her again. Kira had turned into Scott's arms and was fighting back tears against his chest.

Seconds later, water spewed from Lydia's lips and she coughed, trying to get air into her lungs. Stiles fell back for half a second before leaning forward and pulling her into his arms. He heard her gasping in his ears and reminded himself to let go so she could breathe. He couldn't hide the tears that sprung free and rolled down his cheeks.

"Stiles," she breathed, still lying in his arms. Scott and Kira breathed a sigh of relief and went to grab blankets to wrap around her. Lydia placed her hand on Stiles's cheek and managed a small smile. "You saved me."

He moved his hand to place it on top of hers. "I couldn't lose you," he said, his eyes swimming in the tears he was trying to hold back. "I love you, Lydia."

"I love you, too, Stiles."

He leaned in and gave her a small kiss as their friends came back with plenty of blankets. Kira knelt beside the couple and started to wrap Lydia in the warmth. Scott handed Stiles a towel as he stood to make room for Kira to warm his girlfriend.

"Thanks, man," Stiles said, encasing himself in the towel.

"No problem, Stiles," Scott replied as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I don't know what I'd do without her," Stiles muttered, looking at the girls. He and Scott walked a few feet away, far enough to give them space but close enough they could keep an eye on them. "Seriously, Scott - Thank You." He looked into his brother's eyes. All Scott could do was smile.

Eventually, they helped Lydia to her feet and all made their way inside. Stiles helped her to the couch in front of the fire place in the living room as Scott started a fire. It wasn't even dinner time and they'd already been through so much. Kira approached them after she had put all of their lunch supplies back in the kitchen.

"Why don't we get you into some warm clothes?" she asked of Lydia, stretching her hand out.

"Yeah, that'd be good," she agreed. She pulled herself from the position she'd gotten herself into in Stiles's arms and grabbed her friend's hand. Stiles watched them walk away and turned to look at Scott when he felt him sit beside him on the couch.

"She's fine, Stiles. She's gonna be fine, I promise."

"I want her to go to the hospital. Tonight. She drowned, Scott. There could be all kinds of complications." He settled back into the cushions, sighing as he did so.

"True. Good luck getting her to go, though." Scott laughed as he fell back into the cushions next to his brother. "She's as stubborn as you are, sometimes."

"Yeah, that's true," Stiles agreed. He laughed as he thought back on a few of those occasions. "It's one of the reasons I love her so much, ya know?" He paused. "I told her that, after everything." He couldn't help but smile.

"You've told her that before, Stiles," Scott said, eyeing Stiles rather suspiciously.

"Yeah," he waited. "But, this time, she said it back." He was doing all he could to contain himself. He didn't know that the girls were having the same conversation back in the bedroom.

 **XX**

Everyone had settled down after the incident in the lake hours ago and hadn't really moved much since the girls had come back from the bedroom. They'd placed plenty of pillows in the floor and each couple had snuggled up with one another. They laughed when the sounds of a gurgling grumbling stomach could be heard around the fireplace. Looking to the culprit, Stiles avoided eye contact while Lydia poked him in the ribs.

"Hey, I can't help it if all I've had to eat in the last twenty-four hours is a sandwich and a couple of pieces of fruit. I need food." He patted his stomach and shrugged his shoulders and Lydia poked him in his ribs.

"Okay, what're we making for dinner?" Scott asked, looking at the faces of his friends.

"Uh, I'm kinda feeling pizza," Lydia said, nestling her head back into Stiles's chest.

"We don't really have anything here for pizza and I doubt anyone will deliver out here," Kira said. She looked to Lydia for confirmation on both aspects.

"Yeah, Kira's right. No one's going to want to deliver out here this late on a Saturday. We can have whatever's in the kitchen." Stiles could tell she was slightly let down and tried to get Scott's attention.

It took a few tries but he finally got the message across.

"Uuhh, Kira and I can head into town and get some stuff to make pizza. And some other stuff for tomorrow," Scott paused. "If you guys want."

"It's not a big deal, Scott. We can just make sandwiches or something. I'm not too sure what's in the kitchen at the moment, though," Lydia said.

"It's no problem, Lydia. Besides, with Stiles here, we could probably do with some extra food in the place."

"Hey!" Stiles interjected. "I don't eat _that_ much." He looked a little hurt so Lydia reached up and pinched one of his cheeks.

"Don't be such a baby, Stiles. We all know how teenage boys eat." She looked at Scott as if to direct it towards him as well.

"Don't look at me," he said, half laughing. "Sooo, are we going into town or not?"

"I'm down to go if you guys want to stay here," Kira answered.

It was agreed that Kira and Scott would go get what they needed while Stiles and Lydia stayed behind. They made a list and were on their way. Stiles and Lydia settled back in front of the fire and she laced her fingers with his.

"I still don't see why you won't go to the hospital," Stiles stated. He felt guilty for what had happened earlier. "You _drowned_ , Lydia. We should have called an ambulance."

"I'm fine, Stiles. I told you that." Lydia rolled her eyes. "Besides, Scott gave my heart and lungs a listen earlier and he said everything sounded normal."

"Lydia -" he started.

"Stiles." She moved to look him in the eyes. "I'm _fine_. I promise. If I start to feel bad, I'll let you know. Okay?"

He searched her eyes for a moment before finally nodding in agreement. "Fine. But the second you don't feel right, we're going to the emergency room."

"Okay," she conceded. She nestled herself back into his chest, pulling his left hand into her lap. She traced the slight burn marks that the blow torch had left him with.

"Lydia..." he started quietly. The skin there was tender and sensitive, he knew it would be for quite some time. Luckily, the area that had been affected was small enough that it could only be noticed when you looked directly at it. It was a delicate topic for him and Lydia was the only one that he felt comfortable discussing everything with. But this was something that he wasn't too keen on her doing.

"Does it hurt?" she whispered, still tracing the raised skin.

"No," he whispered back. "It just feels weird. It's a little tingly and it tickles a little when you do that. It itches sometimes and I have to rub around the edges instead of scratching it. Other than that, it's just something that I'll have to live with now." He resisted the urge to pull away.

"It reminds me of how brave you are, of what you did to protect me."

"Really?" he asked, still whispering. It just reminded him of the worst five days of his life.

"Yes, really." She paused in her movements. "Does it bother you?"

"Yes and no. I mean, it's a bad memory, for sure. And the scar itself feels weird. But you tracing it, that in itself doesn't bother me." He shifted so he could pull her closer to him before putting his hand back into her lap. "Being here with you, it makes it all worth it." He kissed the top of her head since she was lying on his chest once more.

"I'm sorry you went through all that, Stiles." She couldn't let him see she was holding back tears. She blamed herself for what had happened. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Lydia." He didn't miss when she stopped what she was doing to wipe her tears. "Hey," he said softly, moving so he could turn her to face him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really. I just, I feel guilty. Like it's my fault or something." She sat up and sniffed. "He never would have gone after you if it weren't for me." She cast her eyes downward before he lifted her chin.

"Look at me. Don't ever blame yourself for what that psycho did to me. That is no one's fault but his." He looked stared into her hazel eyes, holding back tears of his own. He could see the ones that had broken free and were trailing down her face. "I mean, look at what he did to Meredith, what he did to the other patients in the closed ward. You can't think you're responsible for all of that, for any of it. That guy was insane. And now we don't have to worry about him at all. He's gone and he's not coming back. Ever."

She nodded. "Okay," she squeaked, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

He leaned in and kissed her. He brought his other hand up to the other side of her face. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in to her and deepening the kiss. They fell onto the pillows that were scattered around them. The moment was over when Kira interrupted them.

"Oh!" They pulled away. "I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, her hands full of groceries. Scott nearly ran into her on his way in.

"Whoa, sorry, Kira. What's the hold up?" He turned to see exactly what she was staring at. He widened his eyes at the sight of them entangled on the floor. "Uh, we'll just... set this in the kitchen." He motioned for Kira to follow him and after a few seconds, she did just that.

Stiles and Lydia looked at themselves and then at the position they had found themselves in before bursting out laughing. They pulled away from one another and went to join their friends in the kitchen.

Avoiding awkward eye contact at all costs, the couples set to work on making homemade pizzas. Scott and Kira had already put away most of the groceries they had gotten and were in the process of separating out the rest of them. The next twenty minutes were spent mixing dough and the boys attempting to toss it in the air like in the movies and the girls laughing at their attempts. The few times it worked, everyone was just as shocked as one would think considering their clumsiness. This resulted in cheers and applause all around. No one was at all surprised when Stiles's dough landed on his face. Instead, Lydia just laughed it off and poked holes where his eyes and mouth were and gave him a quick kiss. He chased her around for almost five full minutes before it fell to the floor.

Putting the pies in the oven, they all made their way back to the fireplace to chill while they baked. They talked about graduation in a few months and where their paths would take them after summer was over. While it was a conversation full of memories and a few laughs, it wasn't something they wanted to dwell on for too long. They were all relieved when the timer went off. Not to mention Stiles felt like he was dying from starvation.

They ate and stayed up until almost two, just enjoying their time together. When they finally went to bed, they could barely keep their eyes open to make it there. They yelled their goodnights to the other room before settling into the warmth of the bed.

"I was thinking," Stiles mentioned as they slid underneath the blankets. He laid on his back, staring at the ceiling, and she was on her side facing him.

"About?"

"About when I was taken."

"Stiles..."

"Hear me out, please?" he pleaded. She nodded in compliance. "Well, I think I figured out why you were never pulled to me, why you couldn't find me yourself."

"And?" He'd piqued her curiosity.

"Banshees are pulled to death. You can only find someone that's dead or dying, right?" Again, she nodded. "Maybe I was just in serious pain. Maybe the reason you couldn't find me was because I wasn't dying. Maybe his intention wasn't to kill me. He even said _You're no good to me dead_ the night Derek found me." When he was met with silence, he continued. "I don't know for certain. Us talking earlier just got me thinking, ya know?"

"It makes sense." She shrugged. "If that's the reason, then I'm glad I couldn't find you. I don't know what I'd do without you, ya know."

"Really?" he whispered.

"Really. I really do love you, Stiles," Lydia said in the darkness, yawning on his name. He turned to face her and smiled.

"I really do love you, as well, Lydia. I always have." He kissed her, soft and sweet, not asking for more. They weren't there yet, both of them knew it. When it was time for them to reach that point, it would feel right. And certainly after a kidnapping and drowning, now was not the time to press the subject of sex.

"Thank you for saving me today," she whispered in the stillness. She grabbed his hand and kissed it. He rested his free hand on her face, just to the side of her chin.

"Any time." He smiled.

"It's not the first time you've done it, either." When he looked at her confused, she elaborated. "That night Peter Hale attacked me. You saved my life. And you didn't give up when I went missing." She paused. "You've always been there, looking out for me, seeing me."

"Everyone _sees_ you, Lydia."

"Not like you do. You see me for more than my looks. You see me for me. Not the Banshee, not the popular girl, not the hot girl, not the smart girl. You see me through all that. You see me," she paused, "for me." She smiled as she finished, glad she'd been able to make it through all that without crying.

"What's not to see? You're amazing, in everything you do and will do. You're going to go on to do great things. You're going to win that Fields Medal one day." They both laughed when he mentioned what she had told him that same night he had saved her life from Peter Hale. The first night she had been exposed to the supernatural and her abilities as a banshee had been unleashed, even if they didn't know what she was at the time.

"Thank you, again," she laughed.

"What for this time?"

"Just, listening. For believing in me. And for always being there when I need you most. I know I can always count on you. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with you."

"One of the reasons?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes, one of them."

"Mind if I ask to hear some others?"

"Well, there's your sense of humour. How protective you are of those you care about. How smart you are. How kind you are..." she trailed off. "This list goes on and on." He leaned in for another kiss. Just being here with her - it wasn't something he imagined happening even six months ago. He was just very content with where he was at this exact moment in time. Laying in bed with the woman he'd loved for years. Lydia tried to cover a yawn and failed. "Can we go to sleep now? I'm exhausted and we still have all day here tomorrow."

"Yeah, almost dying will do that to you," he replied only half joking. She swatted his shoulder before turning to face the wall and settling into their usual sleeping position.

"Goodnight, Stiles. I love you," he heard in the darkness.

"Goodnight, Lydia. I love you, too." He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

 **Okay, so... I have no idea how that ended up being so long. It was just supposed to be a short little thing where Lydia drowned and Stiles saved her. I was expecting it to be around 3,000 words and it ended up being more than twice that. I hadn't even planned on them saying _I love you_ but it happened. I do have plans for one more part, it's the whole reason I went ahead and wrote this one, so the next one would make sense and have more meaning. No idea when it'll be ready, though. I hope you enjoyed and please leave a review! Whether it be a critique or a suggestion or to even just say you liked it, I would LOVE to hear from you!**

 **MJ**


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